BBQ PIG TAILS...really ugly, but really tastey

quite possibly the ugliest thing i have tried to date.

BUT i must tell you, a little funny to admit... i've actually cooked these twice now..i think i secretly like them. they're kinda sinfully delicious...

once again, i was perusing the meat section of my favorite Mexican market and i came across these babies all nice and freshly packaged...couldn't pass them up. i had seen a post a while back, i wish i could remember whose, about pig's tails and i was flabbergasted..i mean really amazed, that someone could take such an ugly pig-part, cook it and then eat without laughing so hard that you could even swallow...

i'm not quite sure why the tails are butchered this way, sliced through all the way 'till the tip, because it makes them a bit difficult to eat (AND painfully phallic!). maybe i just don't have the correct pig tail know-how, but as you can see from my past experience with oxtails here and turkey tails here, i'm not the new kid on the block when it comes to tails. i suppose it's a way to get the BBQ heat to the meat AND the fatty outer layer crispy at the same time. hmmm...

tell me these babies are not s shocker to look at...

i wasn't sure i could even go through with the purchase.

look at THEM!!!

what do YOU think they resemble?

here is the recipe i used as a guidline
8 pig tails, rinsed
6 cloves garlic, halved
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt

i also added 1 quartered onion, 2 cut carrots, 2 stalks cut celery

cumin, chili powder, oregano...really anything you think would be flavorful.

DIRECTIONSPlace the pig tails in a large stock pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, and clean the pot of any debris, then return the tails to the pot and cover with cold water. (this step i find important. i have started to do this with other odd animal parts i'm not fami;iar with or that have alot of bone such as large beef ribs) Bring to a boil again, and season with onion, red pepper flakes and salt. Boil for about 2 hours, or until the tails are almost falling apart.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
Drain the pig tails, and place them on the roasting pan. The stock from the tails may be used to cook turnip greens, cabbage or black-eye peas.
Roast the tails for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tails pop and sizzle and the skin browns. Take care when opening the oven door. Allow the tails to cool, and serve with your favorite side dishes.